The Penn's Grove record., 1887-04-30
JUST LIKE ARGENTINA.

hiding,v Nelly Fairfield thought, lay
ing down the three volumes OF "A
Dead Mystery" She had read Lady
Dampstick's DOOM" and 'Lurrid
Lightnings," and "Green-Grey Eyes. !"
and 1.-THE One-Legged WITCH" three
volumes each, of the most blood-curd-
ling description that the village library
could supply.
Nelly's taste in romance was not OF
the highest. She liked to have her
blood curdled. And as the four weeks
of her country visit had been necessarily
wet she had trotted her young friend
and hostess, Mary Marsh, in the pony
trap every second day to the village
library in search Of the weird and mys-
| terious. At the end of her months
visit to Darkleigh Court. Nelly's fair
and curly little head was bewildered by
three pulling discoyeries-that Hubert
| Marsh, Mary's obliging brother, and
the heir Of this grand old place, was
desperately In love with her insignifi-
cant little self; that the country was a
compound Of gray sky, rain, and mud,
whatever the poets said to the contrary;
and that heroInes-especially Argentina,
the last heroine-eould cry without
spelling her violet eyes and their pretty
little noses, and that they had a habit OF
gliding and hiding. Argentina often
did; and Nelly was beginning to feel
just like Argentina since the heir OF
Darkleigh Court had begun to do her
~chivalrous service from morning till
night to win a word or a smile.
HHubert is like Lord Lockwood in
"a Dead Mystery she told Mary
Marsh, as they went down a~rm-in-arm,
ready to see a new guest at dinner-a
great event in a weather-bound country
house.
.He has black hair and eyebrows, and
there the likeness ends" said demure
Miss Mary, with a smile. awe don't
want Hubert to be a forger, or a high
wayman, or a ,corsair, or whatever it
was-not like Lord Lockwood-thank
you'll"
"But I do like a man to have some
thing Notwithstanding grand-as
if he were able to-
s'To slay somebodyln limited Mary.
''That would be romantic and out of
the common"
"Oh, no." said Nelly helplessly; "but
I can't explain. Hubert looks adven-
turous. He might have been o courtier
in the old times, and helped in secret
councils, and"
'sPlanned the smothering of princes,
and all that" laughed Mary. Poor
HUBERT l did not know what a bad
opinion you had of him, Nelly.N
Nelly drew away her arm, and tried
desperately to explain, but they had
reached the last step of the stairs, and
the new guest was taking off his coat in
the hall.
He was a big-eyed, big-mustached,
burly man, with a sort of cousinly like
ness to a bulldog. He was afterwards
introduced as sour friend Gobblecock,
who has come from London to spend a
day or two with Hubert.o - saeo
There was also at dinner that day, a
neighbor of Darkleigh Court-a hand
some young fellow, Sir Harry Give
who took the world easily. His chief
pastime was twirling the ends of his
mustache, and his only troubles in life
were laying foundation-stones and
grazing the platform at public meet
ings. His occupations ranged from
lawn-tennis in summer to sleighing in
winter, and driving a four-in-hand. He
called Miss Marsh s.Maryn and she
called him Harry they had known
each other since he painted new COM
plexions on her dolls in his Elton holt
DAYS. and since her baby hands stitched
the calico that sailed his ship. Now,
when boys and girls begin as playmates,
they often only end as friends; new
faces and new ways have some day a
mysterious attraction that the too well
known face had not. Sir Harry Give
stood by the window that night, curling
his mustache on his finger, and enjoy
ing Nelly's chatter with little Robin
Marsh, on her theory of Bluebeard
having possibly been the wicked nm
Gle" mentioned in the ''Babes in the
Wood.u
"He couldn't have been their uncle"
said the small boy, s'because there were
never any babes in reality; and it's all a
story.o
"Oh, yes, there were babes-there
were; its a positive fact,n said Nelly,
truly enough. The little boy looked
bewlldered, and Sir Harry burst into a
laugh, and watched the pretty girl as
steadily as little Robin did.
Hubert Marsh disappeared from the
group at the window. He was after
ward seen in the garden, kicking the
gravel and smoking a cigar. Poor fell
lowl There are big boys that sulk in
this upside down world of ours.
"You darling little mitel You don't
believe in Bluebeard, either. Wait till
ylu meet him some dayi'' said Mary
demure and diligent. looking round
from her laee-work. &c
Master Robin looked straight across
the room at big Mr.. Gobblecock. 1t
was a look of inquiry; he had his
doubts.
Luckily the friend from London wa
not TUNED that way. lie had made a
thousand apologies. saying he would not
ask a favor except in an old friends
house, and they had all clamored xcu
and assent; and he had begged for a lit